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Characins
/ Characidae / Darter Characin
Darter Characin
Characidium species | Pictures
SYN: None
PD:
A fish with a relatively flat-bellied profile.
The body is elongated and the fish is
usually seen resting on its pectoral fins.
The body color depends on the species as does the body pattern.
The
fins are transparent on nearly all species.
SIZE: To 3" (8 cm)
SS: None
HAB: Clear streams in South America from the Rio de la Plata to the Orinoco.
S: bottom
TANK: 24" (60 cm) or 15 gallons (57 L).
The bottom should be fine gravel or,
better, sand.
Leave open areas.
Provide a moderate to strong current with good aeration.
WATER:
pH 5.5-7.5 (7.0), dH 2-25 (6), 64-81°F (18-27°C)
SB: A peaceful loner that should be kept singly or in large groups of eight or more fish.
If
kept in groups smaller than about eight, fish act aggressively.
Combine with small to medium-sized fish of upper
swimming levels.
An inquisitive fish, always investigating the tank floor.
SC: Tetras, Hatchetfish,
Corydoras, danios, barbs, gouramis.
FOOD: Tablets; live;
Tubifex, mosquito larvae, Brine Shrimp.
SEX: Females are slightly plumper and have a clear dorsal fin while males have spots around
their dorsal fin.
B:
Breeding the Darter is fairly easy.
A pair spawns on the bottom, laying side to side.
The
parents should be removed from the tank after the eggs are laid.
The 150 eggs fall between rocks and hatch after
30 to 40 hours.
The fry have very small mouths and should be raised on food tablets, infusoria, and
Artemia.
BP: 5.
Breeding is not difficult.
R: About 50
Characidium species have been described although distinguishing
between them is very difficult because of the subtle differences.
Color depends on what environment the
fish is found.
Fish with a greenish color are found in rivers with heavy vegetation, while dark bodied
specimen are found in rivers with dark rocks.
DC: 3.
A robust species, that is suitable for most community
tanks.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
How to save the world's oceans from overfishing
(7/8/2007) Global fishing stocks are in trouble. After expanding from 18 millions tons in 1950 to around 94 million tons in 2000, annual world fish catch has leveled off and may even be declining. Scientists estimate that the number of large predatory fish in the oceans has fallen by 90 percent since the 1950s, while about one-quarter of the world's fisheries are overexploited, depleted, or recovering from depletion. Despite these dire trends, the situation is changing. Today some of the world's largest environmental groups are focused on addressing the health of marine life and oceans, while sustainable fisheries management is at the top of the agenda for intergovenmental bodies. At the forefront of these efforts is Mike Sutton, director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's conservation program: the Center for the Future of the Oceans. The aquarium, which has long been recognized as one of the world's most important marine research facilities, is pioneering new strategies for protecting the planet's oceans. Sutton says the approach has four parts: establishing new marine protected areas, pushing for ocean policy reform, promoting sustainable seafood, and protecting wildlife and marine ecosystems.
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